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Wednesday 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first gathering in 1911, which was supported by over a million people. Today it has gathered momentum across the globe and continues to mark a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

At QinetiQ we believe in a truly inclusive workplace where we can be our authentic selves, feel valued, respected and are able to reach our full potential. This belief goes hand in hand with one of IWD’s important missions, which is specifically related to the workplace; to forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated.

This year’s theme for IWD is ‘#EmbraceEquity’, which seeks to get people talking about why equal opportunities are no longer enough. The words equity and equality are often used interchangeably, however it’s important to understand and acknowledge their difference:

• Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities
• Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome

The goal of equity is to change systemic and structural barriers that get in the way of people's ability to thrive.

As part of our celebration of IWD, we are taking the opportunity to talk to some of the inspirational women in our company; discovering their career journeys so far and sharing their stories with all our colleagues. We will also be hosting global presentations, inviting colleagues and guest speakers to talk about how we can create positive change in gender equity and equality within QinetiQ.

Please join me in celebrating the achievements of women across the world. By continuing our drive to be an inclusive workplace, we can make a real difference to all our people. Let’s all fully #EmbraceEquity.